USA Dot Com is a blog covering politics and government from a conservative Christian perspective. Verne Strickland is a 50-year veteran of investigative journalism. This blog offers a take-no-prisoners style with a modicum of biting satire. Verne and his wife of 55 years, Durrene, live in Wilmington, NC.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / August 27, 2011

(AP/The Huffington Post) POINCIANA, Fla. — Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann claims the U.S. has more energy resources than any other country but isn't exploiting them because of "radical environmentalists."

Bachmann said with shale oil, natural gas and coal, the United States shouldn't be "begging" others for oil and energy supplies.

She said, "We are the king daddy dogs when it comes to energy," but that environmentalists are preventing resources from being tapped.

With untapped oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off the nation's coasts, shale oil in Western states, and rich natural gas and coal deposits, she said the U.S. "is sitting on a mother lode of treasure."

As president, Bachmann said she would unlock those resources and eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency.

"The radical environmentalists have demanded that we lock up all our energy resources," she added. "President Bachmann will take that key out of the door. I will unlock it."

The Saturday crowd at an up-scale retirement community in central Florida cheered wildly.

And Bachmann got a similar reception when she promised to eliminate the "job killing" Environmental Protection Agency, saying that she would close the agency down in a single trip. "We will turn out the lights and we'll lock the doors," she said.